What's happening in West Bengal?: Letters to The Editor

What's happening in West Bengal?

TMC reclaimed West Bengal by a huge mandate and that was acknowledged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and others. Post-declaration of the results in West Bengal, TMC supporters have started mayhem by attacking BJP supporters, workers and leaders. Is this what Mamata Banerjee preaches. It was seen in social media that many from my state rejoiced TMC's win in West Bengal and castigated BJP with numerous memes. I have no problem with that section because at least they have got something to cheer about after their political combination routed to dust in their state. Winning and losing are part of the democratic process called elections, but it is condemnable if the winning party's supporters indulge in vandalism, mayhem and riots. Even the Congress and Left supporters as well as their workers are not spared. The people involved in the crimes are from a particular religious community and that is very alarming. The 'Buddhijivi samaj' of our State is mum on the latest developments in the neighbouring State. If the same things happened in any BJP-ruled State the 'super secularists', human rights groups, Leftist brigade would have flocked around places like Jantar Mantar, Rajpath, India Gate, etc.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah must act quickly to stop further loss of human lives. The country is already in grip of a deadly pandemic and at this moment the country cannot afford to hooliganism from the TMC brigade. It is heartbreaking to see people fleeing their homeland and entering Assam. West Bengal election has crossed all limits, and the appeasement policy of Mamata Banerjee is bearing results as indigenous people are massacred by people of doubtful nationality.

Manthan Rudra Kashyap,

Boko.

Plea to Akhil Gogoi

Through this letter of mine, I want to congratulate Akhil Gogoi, the lone successful candidate from Raijor Dol for winning the Sivasagar constituency from jail. It reminds me of Late George Fernandes who got elected to the Parliament after contesting the poll from jail during the emergency period. Now after being elected to Vidhan Sabha as a lawmaker we expect that from now onwards he would behave like a responsible lawmaker, instead of the lawbreaker. There are numerous examples from the past where Akhil Gogoi was involved in unlawful activities which disturbed the normal life of the common man. His frequent calls for Assam bandhs, dharnas, roadblocks, etc are very agonizing for the general public. We still remember how he stood for the illegal encroachers in Kaziranga when the Government of the day was uprooting the encroachers. Let's hope this time as a lawmaker he would stand by the indigenous people of Assam.

Joel Goyari, Tangla.

The dead river

The Bharalu river was once considered healthy as it provided pure water and varieties of fresh fish to the people residing on its bank. With time it has become an 'Allah's or 'sewerage' because of rapid, unplanned and haphazard developmental activities and urbanization processes on its bank. The river is filled with masses of rubbish, including plastic bottles, bags and other plastic items. It carries a humongous part of city waste, including sewage, which turned it into natural drainage.

During monsoon, the worst scenario is seen due to the absence of proper garbage management in areas like Anil Nagar which are seen to have been flooded.

The Pollution Control Board, Assam has marked Bharalu as one of the most polluted rivers stretches in the country. The pollution level in Bharalu is a primary source of contamination affecting the overall quality of Brahmaputra's water.

Water pollution poses a serious threat to the environment as well as lives. The unchecked discharge of sewage and domestic waste into the rivers is a major cause of river pollution. We must try our best to improve the current situation of Bharalu.

Jasminara Begum, Guwahati

Online disability certification

It is welcome to note that the Union Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has made it mandatory for all States to grant certificates of disability through online mode only using the Unique Disability ID (UDID) portal from June 1, 2021. The manual disability certificates have been issued by each state in their format. Such certificates create trouble for persons with disabilities to avail benefits across the country. The UDID project was launched in 2016. Now, Persons with Disabilities do not need to make multiple copies of documents, maintain, and carry multiple documents as the card captures all the necessary details which can be decoded with the help of a reader. The card is the single document of identification, verification of the disabled for availing various benefits. This also helps in streamlining the tracking of the physical and financial progress of beneficiaries at all levels of the hierarchy of implementation – from village level, block level, district level, state level, and national level. State governments should come forward to provide online disability certificates to persons with disabilities. The authorities concerned should also ensure that all digital disability certificates will be issued under the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 that has mentioned 21 conditions of disability.

Amit Singh Kushwaha,

Satna (M.P.)

Poll campaign

The duration of campaigning for various elections must be restricted to the bare minimum. The number of rallies and roadshows start much before the elections. This leads to huge wastage of money and time. Money plays a crucial role in elections. This money comes from sources, and donors are obliged, later on, also the winners fill their coffers after the election.

Chandan Kumar Nath,

Sorbhog

Vaccination drive

Given the rapid increase in the number of deaths from COVID-19 in India presently, the nation has to speed up its COVID vaccination drive. Otherwise, more and more people in India will contract Coronavirus. Simultaneously, people, in general, have an urgency to avoid mass gatherings, crowded areas, wear face masks and practice hand hygiene. To date, India has lost 2,26,1888 people from COVID-19. The first wave of COVID-19 appeared in January 2020 in India, and its severe effects were reduced in December 2020. However, the second wave of COVID-19 appeared in February 2021, and since then it has been enveloping numerous states in India. Assam has also become a sufferer of the second wave of Coronavirus. To date, 1,485 people have died due to COVID-19 in Assam. Above all, the government has to vaccinate people to protect them from the attack of Coronavirus, and the people have a responsibility to practice COVID-19 precautions properly.

Maheswar Deka,

Rangia

Accidental politicians

It refers to the death of another politician Ajit Singh who was an accidental politician because of the faulty trend of dynastic politics in the country. It was a huge waste of talent resources when an IITan from IIT Kharagpur (India) also have done MS in computer science from Illinois Institute of Technology (USA) was amongst the first Indians to work with IBM in the 1960s as a computer scientist, returned India to become political heir of his father and former Prime Minister Charan Singh. Same dynastic politics is to be continued even after the unfortunate death of Ajit Singh on 06.05.2021 due to corona when his son Jayant may take charge of his party.

Ajit Singh will be remembered for inducing opportunism in politics like some other politicians like Ram Vilas Paswan who always swam with the wave without having any political ideology. The self-interest of getting cabinet-berth is usually the sole motto of such politicians who can join any alliance of entirely different ideology to achieve the personal goal. But such politics ultimately prove to be harmful to future generations like has been the case of Chiragh Paswan who proved to be failed political heir of his father Ram Vilas Paswan.

He's trying to convert 12 Tuglaq Road (New Delhi) to retain as a memorial of his father by even resorting to pressure-tactics of agitation was also not seen in good light when he was very well aware of the Cabinet decision of the year 2000 which restricted conversion of government-bungalows in memorials. If he would continue by being a computer scientist, he could better serve mankind through his professional skill which unfortunately he preferred to avoid.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal,

Chandni Chowk, DELHI